RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages leading to the site... early reports are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
